Chapter 154: Talking About Money Hurts Feelings; Houtu Comments on the Great Powers

Minghe's eyes, his eyelids kept twitching.

There's a saying: "Left eye twitching brings wealth, right eye twitching brings disaster"…… What situation is it when both his eyes twitch together?

While bringing wealth, he also has to suffer disaster?

"That's indeed very possible……"

Minghe the Old Ancestor sighed in his heart.

"Absolute Severing of Heaven and Earth……Absolute Severing of Heaven and Earth!"

"Such a hardcore Absolute Severing of Heaven and Earth makes my fragile spirit barely able to endure……"

Absolute Severing of Heaven and Earth.

As the saying goes——Demons control heaven, Wu control earth.

Besides being a description of the foundation of their territory, it also describes each side's trump card.

The Demon Race operates the Zhou Tian Star Dipper Grand Formation, while the Wu Clan commands the Dou Tian Divine Slaughter Grand Formation.

Therefore.

When heaven unleashes killing intent, stars shift and constellations change!

When earth unleashes killing intent, dragons and snakes rise upon the land!

——Those flamboyantly styled ancestor Wu, stepping on dragons and seizing snakes, standing upon the earth, is that not the rising of dragons and snakes upon the land?

And now……

Someone is sharpening their knives, eager to overturn heaven and earth!

"Human" unleashes killing intent, heaven and earth overturn!

Absolute Severing of Heaven and Earth——forcibly crushing the demon race representing heaven and the Wu clan representing earth to collapse, called 'absolute'; in the process, incidentally shattering the Buzhou Pillar?

Alright.

Heaven and earth are no longer connected.

Look!

How hardcore is this Absolute Severing of Heaven and Earth!

So hardcore that even Minghe, who cultivates the Slaughter Dao, feels a tremor in his heart.

What kind of heart—crazily vengeful toward the world and with wildly reckless imagination—would be needed to devise such a plan?

Minghe deeply suspects that Shaoyang, sitting opposite him, possesses an 'Anti-Honghuang Personality'……not lacking at all compared to the legendary Rahu Demon Ancestor who sought to destroy Honghuang!

"Fellow Daoist..."

The master of the Sea of Blood forced a smile, speaking while repeatedly pondering in his heart whether he had ever offended this fierce deity, 'This Absolute Severing of Heaven and Earth plan is truly……truly wonderful!'

"I don't know, how did you come up with it?"

"Sigh... I have no choice either," Shaoyang sighed repeatedly, feeling lamenting, "Do you think I just wanted to do this?"

"No... no!"

"When the demons and Wu were forming their respective cores, I didn't join……was I considering some personal grudges?"

"In the end, after everyone had taken their sides, I realized I was all alone."

Shaoyang seemed sorrowful, "Although with my strength I could still join both sides……but then I'd become a mere lackey, the big profits already mostly divided up, leaving only scraps—how could that match my wisdom and talent?"

"If it were you, fellow Daoist……would you be willing?" the Emperor asked the Old Ancestor.

"Unwilling, indeed unwilling." Minghe gave a dry laugh, continuing along Shaoyang's words.

"Yes……I'm unwilling!" Shaoyang slammed the table, "So I have no choice but to start a new stove."

"Yes yes yes, starting a new stove……"

Minghe voiced agreement, but inwardly he kept complaining.

"Finding that I couldn't play by the rules the demons and Wu set on their chessboard, I simply overturned the board, slapped both sides' faces, and literally beat the opponent to death……starting a new stove is this thorough!"

However, the master of the Sea of Blood seriously thought——the meal produced by this stove seems mainly meant for him to eat?

Thus.

His attitude immediately underwent a 180-degree turn.

Starting this new stove is good!

Great!

Taking the Wu and Demon Race's Great Luo and Great Divine Ability Masters as sacrifices, to exchange for my ultimate achievement in the Slaughter Dao……if I still had to lament for both sides, wouldn't that be pretentious?

Is Minghe that kind of show-off, a drama‑queen emperor?

Absolutely not!

Wu Clan, Demon Race……die well! Die splendidly!

Once the high‑level harbingers of disaster from these two clans are dead, Honghuang will be at peace!

Minghe is removing harm for all beings!

Eliminate the culprits who create problems, and no problems remain.

Demon‑Wu warfare?

Clash of ideals?

All of it, with the clans' collapse, gets buried in the dust of ages.

The new protagonists of heaven and earth will take the stage, waving their tender hands in the Honghuang world, writing and expounding their own ideals.

"Heaven and earth's protagonists……"

Minghe's heart suddenly gave rise to an interesting thought.

"Must it be the human race?"

"I think……I will create a race to be the protagonists of heaven and earth, which is also not bad!"

The protagonist of heaven and earth, the Demon Race can touch, the Wu Clan can touch, humans can touch… He, Minghe, why can't he go touch a bit?

"By that time, I had risen to the strongest, peak combat power; who dares say that the race I created is not the protagonist of heaven and earth?"

"Mmm……"

"Having a race alone is not enough."

"There are too many races with outstanding bloodline talent in this world……"

"What truly supports a race to stand at the pinnacle of heaven and earth is not only excellent talent potential, but also its own ideological core……"

"It seems I must still establish a great doctrine, passing on my own ideas, for the will and soul of my race!"

"……"

"Minghe Laozi's mental abacus crackled with clacking sounds."

"Outside of Shaoyang's plan, he also devised a few extra steps, solely for his own benefit."

"Thus it can be seen."

"His relationship with Shaoyang's friends……"

"Talking about money hurts feelings; talking about feelings hurts money!"

"Shaoyang glanced at Minghe Laozi's face, which suddenly radiated glory; at first he was somewhat puzzled, then his brows slightly furrowed, he pondered a little, and it turned into sudden understanding."

"However, he did not say it outright."

"——As a mighty one who reasons and relies on evidence, how could he criticize others based on baseless speculation?"

"At this point, one needs to draw an analogy from the past to the present."

""Minghe brother, do you still remember how Luo Hou the demon ancestor was defeated back then?" Shaoyang smiled."

""Naturally I remember; after all…… why are you asking this?" Minghe asked curiously."

""I mean, in the《Honghuang Shiji》published by Daoist Bai Ze, the reason given for Luo Hou the demon ancestor's defeat……" Shaoyang said meaningfully, "It is the 'Dao Demon Great Tribulation' recorded and engraved in the Suiyue Changhe—where Dao Ancestor Hongjun defeated and suppressed Luo Hou the demon ancestor.""

"Minghe's face instantly turned strange."

""Back then, how unbeatable was Luo Hou the demon ancestor? He slew the Ancestral Dragon, forced the Phoenix Ancestor into nirvana, created the demon race, founded the demon sect, with immense might." Shaoyang shook his head and swayed his body, "But unfortunately.""

""With the support of many surviving innate divinities, Dao Ancestor Hongjun narrowly defeated the demon ancestor, saving Honghuang from the risk of annihilation……"

""What does this mean? Fellow Daoist, you need to savor it!"

"Shaoyang Di Jun's tone was playful."

"After Minghe Laozi savored it for a moment, he instantly understood what Shaoyang was warning him about."

""After the Lich Great Tribulation ends, perhaps a batch of fresh innate spiritual treasures will emerge." Shaoyang had a smile at the corner of his mouth, "However, ordinary Golden Immortals might fail, but those mighty ones may not.""

""They certainly have a good mindset, can take it up and let it go, accept wins and losses; after losing in the Lich Era, they accept defeat, change their guise, and wait for the next era to seek an opportunity to regain their standing.""

"They certainly have a good mindset, can take it and let it go, willing to bet and accept loss; the Wu-Demon era's defeat is just a defeat, change a guise, wait for the next era to seek opportunity to regain face."

""We must not push them to desperation; the face that ought to be given must still be given."

""Luo Hou wanted to eat alone, and thus he failed."

""The human race did quite well."

""Attracting investment from the heavenly will, giving everyone room for risk hedging and a soft landing."

""This is the benefit of showing one's hand—nothing like those groups that hide in the dark, waiting for a sudden burst and overnight rise."

""Walking one's own path, leaving others with no way forward…… this is not the most appropriate way to handle conflicts."

""This is exacerbating the conflict, forcing others to overturn the table."

""If one is willing to sacrifice their life, what fear is there of not being able to splash you with blood?"

""So, not eating alone, leaving some leeway for each other…… is good for either side."

"Shaoyang's words carried hidden meaning."

"Minghe heard it clearly and distinctly."

"But what could he say?"

"He could only give a dry laugh twice, while following the praise of the human race model, and harshly criticizing Luo Hou the demon ancestor a few times."

"He could only give a dry laugh, while on one side following the praise of the human race model, and on the other side harshly criticizing a few sentences of Rahu Demon Ancestor."

"What a good hand, yet he ended up like that!"

"After scorning Luo Hou the demon ancestor for a good while, Shaoyang and Minghe exchanged a glance and burst into mutual laughter."

"Everything, all in silence."

"Finally."

"The two mighty ones substituted tea for wine, raised their cups, and clinked them."

""For our friendship……"

""For the inevitable arrival of peace in Honghuang……"

"For the inevitable arrival of peace in Honghuang..."

"Shaoyang drained his cup in one gulp."

"Beneath his carefree, spontaneous expression lay the deepest inner indifference and tranquility."

""The stage, I have already built it."

""The key actors are also taking their places one by one."

""If everything goes smoothly, naturally no further support is needed; I myself can sweep the entire field."

""But if I fail and fall upon this road……"

""Then surely the killing game I finally trigger with my own life as a catalyst will definitely drag along a large batch of backers?"

""Those who don't give me backup will likely not fare well either—near death, almost certain."

"Those who don't give me a back-up, their condition probably won't get much better—remaining blood, almost certainly."

"Don't tell me……"

"Harvest the remaining blood, you all can't do it?"

"Yan!"

"Huang!"

At this moment, the Lesser Yang's eyes shone like stars.

……

"Huh?!"

The ancestral witch Houtu, who was receiving an important report from the great loyal minister Fengxi, suddenly shuddered.

In an instant, this ancestral witch rose to her feet.

She looked left and right, as if facing a great enemy.

"Uh... Lady Houtu, are you alright?" Fengxi expressed concern for his superior's bewildering state, wanting to share her worries and anxieties.

"I'm fine..." The ancestral witch Houtu's delicate face was tense; though she said she was fine, divine light flickered on her body and hands, seeping into the River of Time, gazing at past and future.

"It's merely some sneaky scoundrels harboring ill will toward me..."

After a while, the ancestral witch Houtu returned empty-handed, somewhat unwillingly saying, "Don't let me catch you... or else?"

"We must make him unable to live, unable to die!"

The ancestral witch's killing intent was fully revealed.

"My lady, you will surely achieve your wishes!" Fengxi timely offered blessings and flattery: "Though Honghuang is vast, only you, Lady Houtu, can wield power and bestow blessings!"

"Lady Houtu, possessing both civil and martial virtue, invincible in battle, unstoppable in attack, for thousands of generations, unifying Honghuang!"

He just blurted it out.

"Ay ay ay... little Fengxi!" The ancestral witch Houtu restrained her anger, a composed smile appearing on her face: "Now is work time; how could you interject with an evaluation of my personal abilities?"

"You don't distinguish priorities!"

"Next time, pay attention; wait until after reporting work to raise opinions... understood?"

Houtu said she could still float!

"Fengxi understood!" Fengxi nodded solemnly: "I was merely moved for a moment by Lady Houtu's noble virtue and perfect spirit, involuntarily speaking my heart's words... not that I did it intentionally."

"Next time, I will certainly strive to improve my self-control!" he assured.

Afterwards, he naturally shifted the topic, continuing to describe Shaoyang Emperor's intention to cooperate with the Wu Clan, the detailed course of this whole incident.

Fengxi described everything in the most objective language, serving as a suitable mouthpiece and tool.

"Shaoyang this deity..." the ancestral witch Houtu's face turned solemn: "It cannot be denied that he possesses great talent."

"Just, cooperating with him is possible, but in this process we must be more cautious."

Fengxi's face showed a look of astonishment, but he quickly composed himself.

Without asking, without overstepping, whatever the ancestral witch says, he does.

However, although he didn't ask, the ancestral witch gave him a simple explanation.

"In this Honghuang world, any great being is not simple."

"If we speak of attaining the Dao and becoming a Great Luo, it can still be explained by talent, wisdom, and perseverance."

"Then, those great divine abilities require, on top of that, to be paired with skill and ability."

"That can be said like this."

"Every great being's achievement involves no luck; it relies solely on their own ability, prevailing in the fiercely competitive struggle, stepping on other Great Luos to rise."

"Like the progenitors of the Dragon and Phoenix clans."

"When Honghuang was first opened and ferocious beasts ran rampant, they already had great courage and ambition, daring to stand on stage to summon manpower, gather forces... thus ultimately creating the Dragon and Phoenix hegemons that dominated an era."

"Countless innate deities gathered under their banner, waging war ceaselessly under their will!"

"Courage, ambition, personal charm... cannot be ignored."

"And there's Nüwa... this female deity who holds the authority to create all things in heaven and earth, how could that be ordinary?" Houtu's tone was impassioned, not sparing praise for her same-sex: "For that authority, she often carves her cards day and night, working thirteen hours in a day that has twelve—this is diligence, this is perseverance!"

"Thus, she defeated all competitors for the authority of creation, in one fell swoop becoming one of the foremost great beings."

"For example, Xihuang—Fuxi."

"Although he is far inferior to his sister Nüwa, in the information spread among people, his achievements cannot compare to hers... but think about it."

"To become a morally perfect great being praised by many deities, what superb social skills!"

"To be a god and achieve this is also a kind of ability."

……

The ancestral witch Houtu pointed out Honghuang, evaluating the great beings.

In her words, each great being is not simple, each has its most outstanding strengths, absolutely not to be underestimated.

"And what about the Shaoyang Emperor?"

"This is someone who was once inconspicuous among the many innate deities."

"But his current achievements are so high that I don't know how many peers' eyes they have startled."

"And what is his strength?"

"It's scheming!"

"It's calculation!"

(End of chapter)